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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Federal Government has debunked narratives circulating in some quarters regarding Nigerian scholarship students in the Kingdom of Morocco, describing such claims as false, unfounded and deliberately crafted to misinform the public.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, in a statement, yesterday, clarified that no Nigerian student on a valid Federal Government scholarship has been abandoned in any Moroccan institution.
He insisted that all beneficiaries duly enrolled under the Bilateral Education Scholarship (BES) Programme prior to 2024 have received payments up to the 2024 budget year, in line with the Federal Government’s obligations.
He noted that any temporary delays in outstanding payments are attributable to fiscal constraints, and are currently being addressed through ongoing engagements between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Finance. He further stated that no new bilateral scholarship awards were made in October 2025 or at any time thereafter, stressing that documents being circulated to suggest otherwise are fake, unauthenticated, and constitute a calculated attempt to mislead the public and discredit government policy.
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“The decision to discontinue government-funded bilateral scholarships abroad followed a comprehensive policy review, which established that Nigeria now possesses sufficient capacity within its universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to deliver the affected programmes locally.
“Henceforth, only scholarships that are fully funded by foreign governments are being supported, with all financial obligations borne entirely by the host countries. But notwithstanding the policy shift, the Federal Government remains fully committed to students already enrolled under the previous arrangements and will continue to support them until the completion of their programmes.
“But students who might prefer to discontinue their studies abroad may formally write to the Director, Department of Scholarship Awards. Such students would be offered the option of returning to Nigeria, where they would be seamlessly reintegrated into appropriate tertiary institutions of their choice. The Federal Government will also cover their return travel costs to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”
The Minister said the government remains resolute in eliminating inefficiencies and abuses within the scholarship system. “Past practices that sponsored overseas training for courses already well established in Nigeria placed avoidable financial burdens on the nation. The ongoing reforms are therefore aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and the prudent management of public resources.”
He reiterated unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students and rejected misinformation, blackmail, or any attempt to undermine policies designed to strengthen national capacity and safeguard the integrity of the education sector.
